Army of (Al)one

Everywhere you turn, whether on TV, the radio, or scanning the headlines, all you get is a constant litany of: McCain said this; Obama said that; Biden sucks; Sarah Palin is an oddball pick; McCain retorts; Obama slams McCain; McCain bites back. Bush said this; Kucinich pushes to impeach; FEMA responds this time; yet another hurricane; Georgia; Russia; oil, oil, oil; floundering economy; high prices; fewer jobs; Wall Street; housing crisis…

Lost in the incessant cacophony of oil, politics and economy is the fate of each and every person that has taken on the duty of serving our country. The toll is currently at 4,158 US military deaths in Iraq and 30,634 soldiers wounded. Last year, 115 US Army soldiers committed suicide, and 62 have committed suicide already this year. The high suicide rate barely falls behind the nation's total and the Army attributes it to "troubled personal relationships; legal, financial and work problems; and repeated deployments and longer tours in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Perhaps today, September 11, the focus will return to those that continue to serve our country, to bring our attention back to what our military selflessly gives us. Our soldiers deserve more from us than this neglect.